World condemns Suu Kyi verdict

"There was considerable support for the principle of a statement, but a number of delegations wanted to refer the statement back to their capitals overnight for advice and instructions," John Sawers, the British ambassador to the UN, said on Tuesday.

'Unjustified and unacceptable'

The European Union has vowed to bring new sanctions against Myanmar following the verdict, saying it would "respond with additional targeted measures against those responsible for the verdict".

"In addition, the EU will further reinforce its restrictive measures targeting the regime of Burma/Myanmar, including its economic interests," the Swedish EU presidency said in a statement.